Provided are an apparatus and method for searching a start position of a broadcast program. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a received broadcast program is recorded in a recording medium while being output as video and audio. If a new broadcast program is started, position information regarding a start part of the new broadcast program is stored in a memory. Thus, a current broadcast program is reproduced from a start part by searching a start position of the current broadcast program recorded in the recording medium with reference to stored position information. A determination on whether the new broadcast program is started is done on the basis of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) information or a change in audio and video signals. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly search and reproduce a start part of a broadcast program which is currently recorded.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for searching a start position of a broadcast program, comprising: recording a video signal that includes a first broadcast program and a second broadcast program, wherein the first broadcast program changes to the second broadcast program during recording of the video signal; automatically detecting the start of the second broadcast program during recording of the video signal; when or after the second broadcast program starts, storing in a memory position information corresponding to a start part of the second broadcast program being recorded on a hard disk, wherein: (a) the position information in the memory includes an address corresponding to the start part of the second broadcast program, the position information of the start part of the second broadcast program stored separately from position information including an address corresponding to a start part of the first broadcast program, and (b) the start of the second broadcast program is automatically detected based on Electronic Program Guide (EPG) information or a change in at least one of audio or video corresponding to the video signal; searching the memory for the position information for the second broadcast program while the second broadcast program is being recorded on the hard disk; and reproducing the second broadcast program from the address which corresponds to the start part in the hard disk indicated by the searched position information, said searching and reproducing being performed before the recording of the video signal has ended, wherein the method further comprising: if a position in the hard disk at which data of the second broadcast program is recorded is identical to position information of a third broadcast program previously stored in the memory, deleting the position information of the third broadcast program, wherein the position information in the memory corresponding to the third broadcast program includes a start address of the third broadcast program.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein position information is divided and stored in the memory for each of a plurality of broadcast programs including the first and second broadcast programs.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the change in at least one of said audio or video signals is detected based on a video period of a substantially black screen and an audio period of substantially no sound simultaneously detected for a predetermined time.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second programs are received through a same tuner.
5. An apparatus for searching a start position of a broadcast program, comprising: a controller; a signal processor outputting a first broadcast program as audio and video; a recording unit performing a recording operation of a video signal, that includes the first broadcast program and a second broadcast program, on a hard disk, wherein the first broadcast program changes to the second broadcast program during recording of the video signal; a detector to automatically detect the start of the second broadcast program during the recording operation, said detecting performed based on Electronic Program Guide (EPG) information or a change in at least one of audio or video signals; and a memory storing position information including addresses for a corresponding number of start parts of a plurality of broadcast programs recorded on the hard disk, the plurality of broadcast programs including the first and second broadcast programs; wherein if the detector detects that the second broadcast program has started during the recording operation, the controller controls the memory to store position information including the address corresponding to the start part of the second broadcast program being recorded on the hard disk, wherein the controller further: searches the memory for the position information including the address corresponding to the start part of the second broadcast program that is being recorded on the hard disk, and reproduces the second broadcast program from the address corresponding to the start part of second broadcast program that is being recorded on the hard disk with reference to the searched position information, wherein, if a position in the hard disk at which data of the second broadcast program is recorded is identical to position information of a third broadcast program previously stored in the memory, the controller deletes the position information including an address of the start part of the third broadcast program.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the position information is divided and stored for each broadcast program.
7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the apparatus is installed in a TV or a set top box which receives digital broadcasts.
8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the detector detects the change in at least one of said audio or video signals based on a video period of a substantially black screen and an audio period of substantially no sound simultaneously detected for a predetermined time.
9. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second programs are received through a same tuner.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
January 24, 2006
February 26, 2013
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.